- Date
- August 9, 2012, 11:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9838MMaule M-4C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120809027169A
- Case key
- 84653
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern to familiarize himself with the tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot attempted to perform a "wheel landing" (touching down on the main landing gear only and gradually allowing the tailwheel to settle to the ground), and the airplane veered to the left during the landing roll. The pilot attempted to correct with aileron and rudder inputs; however, the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, substantially damaging both wings and the vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and stated that he had no prior flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.
Factual narrative
The pilot was conducting takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern to familiarize himself with the tailwheel-equipped airplane, with a second pilot who did not hold a flight instructor certificate. At the suggestion of the second pilot, the pilot attempted to perform a "wheel landing," and during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot attempted to correct with aileron and rudder inputs, and the airplane nosed over and subsequently came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and stated that he had no prior flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9838M
- Reported as
- Maule M-4C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2C
- Airframe hours
- 1,350
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300 SER, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tardiff Richard A
- Registered owner
- Tardiff Richard A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 2012
- Departed
- LRG · Lincoln, ME
- Destination
- LRG · Lincoln, ME
- Airport
- LRG · Lincoln Regional, runway 35, 2,804 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 317 total · 0 in this make and model · 0 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- MLT, 18 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.